Foliage shredder

ABSTRACT

A foliage shredder that can shred inputted foliage matter into uniform sized particles without pulverizing the inputted foliage matter includes a housing, a shredding axle, a motor, a stand, a digital timer, a power cord, and a lid. The shredding axle is concentrically positioned within a cylindrical compartment of the housing and rotatably coupled to a rotor of the motor. A stator of the motor is externally connected to the housing and electrically connected to the power cord through the digital timer. The lid is terminally attached to the housing thus closing the cylindrical compartment. The cylindrical compartment functions as a container unit for the inputted foliage as the electrically powered shredding axle shreds the inputted foliage into uniform sized particles.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No.15/934,832 filed on Mar. 23, 2018 and issued as U.S. Pat. No. 11,198,132on Dec. 14, 2021, which claims benefit under Title 35, United StatesCode § 119(e) of U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/449,214 filed onJan. 23, 2017.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to an apparatus capable ofshredding foliage matter leftover from trimming a plant. Morespecifically, the present invention utilizes an electrically poweredshredding unit to shred the inputted foliage matter into uniform sizedparticles without pulverizing the inputted foliage matter.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Plant trimmings such as flowers, herbs, tea leaves, medicinal leaves,and any other types of foliage matter are generally shredded throughcomplicated and large processing systems that are normally installedwithin a processing factory. As a result, these processing systems andprocessing factories require large sum of investments to set up and needto process large quantity of foliage matter on daily bases to beprofitable. Furthermore, these processing systems generate a largequantity of waste material due to the low efficiency of the systems. Dueto these drawback, there is a specific need for a portable andinexpensive shredding unit that can handle small to large quantity offoliage matter.

It is therefore an objective of the present invention to provide afoliage shredding unit that can shred inputted foliage matter intouniform sized particles without damaging or compromising the quality ofthe foliage matter. More specifically, the present invention handles andshreds plant trimmings such as flowers, herbs, tea leaves, medicinalleaves, and any other types of foliage matter through an electricallypowered shredding unit. The present invention utilizes a quiet andefficient shredding process that does not pulverize the inputted foliagematter. Once the shredding process is finished, the uniform sizedparticles can be removed or discharged from the present invention to bepackaged and distributed.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a top perspective view for the preferred embodiment of thepresent invention, showing the transparent lid.

FIG. 2 is a top perspective view for the preferred embodiment of thepresent invention, showing the front opening without the transparentlid.

FIG. 3 is a side view for the preferred embodiment of the presentinvention, wherein the dash lines illustrates the inner components ofthe within the housing.

FIG. 4 is a top view for the preferred embodiment of the presentinvention, without the transparent lid.

FIG. 5 is a rear view for the preferred embodiment of the presentinvention, showing the plane upon which a cross-sectional view is takenshown in FIG. 6.

FIG. 6 is a cross-section view for the preferred embodiment of thepresent invention taken along line A-A of FIG. 5 and showing the acuteangle between the shredding axle and the base section.

FIG. 7 is a front perspective view for the transparent lid of thepresent invention.

FIG. 8 is a rear perspective view for the transparent lid of the presentinvention.

FIG. 9 is a top perspective view for the alternative embodiment of thepresent invention, showing the transparent lid.

FIG. 10 is a front view for the alternative embodiment of the presentinvention, showing the plane upon which a cross-sectional view is takenshown in FIG. 11.

FIG. 11 is a cross-section view for the preferred embodiment of thepresent invention taken along line A-A of FIG. 10, showing thecylindrical filter.

FIG. 12 is a perspective view for the cylindrical filter of thealternative embodiment of the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

All illustrations of the drawings are for the purpose of describingselected versions of the present invention and are not intended to limitthe scope of the present invention.

The present invention is a foliage shredder that can shred planttrimmings into uniform sized particles. More specifically, the presentinvention accepts plant trims such as herbs, flowers, medicinal leaves,tea leaves, and any other type of foliage matter so that the planttrimmings can be quickly shredded into uniform sized particles withoutpulverizing the inputted foliage matter. The present invention functionsas a portable and inexpensive apparatus that can implement the shreddingprocess for plant trimmings in comparison to traditional factory settingenvironments.

The present invention comprises a housing 1, a shredding axle 15, amotor 20, a stand 27, a digital timer 32, and a power cord 33, as shownin FIG. 1-3, and the housing 1 comprises a lateral wall 2, a base plate7, and a cylindrical compartment 9. In reference to the generalconfiguration of the present invention, the lateral wall 2 isperimetrically connected around the base plate 7 so that the cylindricalcompartment 9 can be delineated by the lateral wall 2 and the base plate7. The housing 1 functions as the storage unit for the plant trimmingsin order to initiate the shredding process. The lateral wall 2 isrotatably mounted to the stand 27 so that the housing 1 can be elevatedfrom the ground surface for easy access. Furthermore, the stand 27 alsoprovides stability to the housing 1 and functions as the portable meansof transportation within the present invention. A stator 21 of the motor20 is externally mounted onto the base plate 7 thus securing the motor20 within the present invention. The shredding axle 15 is concentricallypositioned within the cylindrical compartment 9 and rotatably coupled toa rotor 22 of the motor 20. As a result, the shredding axle 15 canrotate within the cylindrical compartment 9 converting the planttrimmings into uniform sized particles. In order to apply rotationalmovement to the shredding axle 15, the motor 20 is electricallyconnected to the power cord 33 through the digital timer 32, that isexternally mounted onto the lateral wall 2. Once the power cord 33 isattached to an external power outlet, the user is able to set a timelimit as the operational time duration for the motor 20 through thedigital timer 32. Then, the motor 20 is electrically powered for theduration of the time limit thus completing the shredding process for theplant trimmings through the rotational movement of the shredding axle15.

The housing 1 that contains the plant trimming during the shreddingprocess is preferably formed into a cylindrical shape to be consistencewith the cylindrical compartment 9. In reference to FIG. 1-3, thehousing 1 further comprises a front opening 10, a first mounting bracket11, and a second mounting bracket 12 in addition to the aforementionedcomponents. A first edge 3 of the lateral wall 2 is adjacentlypositioned to the base plate 7. A second edge 4 of the lateral wall 2 isoppositely positioned from the first edge 3 along the lateral wall 2 anddelineates the front opening 10. As a result, the base plate 7 ispositioned in between the first edge 3 of the lateral wall 2 and thesecond edge 4 of the lateral wall 2. The cylindrical compartment 9 isextended from the base plate 7 to the second edge 4 thus allowing to beaccessed through the front opening 10. In reference to FIG. 4-5, thefirst mounting bracket 11 is externally connected to the lateral wall 2.The second mounting bracket 12 is externally connected to the lateralwall 2. The first mounting bracket 11 and the second mounting bracket 12are diametrically opposed of each other about the housing 1 so that thehousing 1 can be rotatably mounted to the stand 27 through the firstmounting bracket 11 and the second mounting bracket 12. In the preferredembodiment of the present invention the housing 1 is made from metal;however, any other type of rigid material can be used to construct thehousing 1. Additionally, in the preferred embodiment of the presentinvention, the housing 1 body is constructed from a single piece ofmaterial; however, the housing 1 can also be constructed from multiplesections which can be held together using any suitable means ofconnection.

The housing 1 further comprises a motor compartment 13 and an accesspanel 14 to enclose the motor 20 within the present invention as shownin FIG. 6. The motor compartment 13 is delineated by the base plate 7and the lateral wall 2 and positioned opposite of the cylindricalcompartment 9. More specifically, the motor compartment 13 is extendedfrom the base plate 7 to the first edge 3 of the lateral wall 2. Themotor compartment 13 protects the motor 20 from external elements thatcan negatively affect the functionality of the motor 20 and improves theesthetic appearance of the present invention. The access panel 14 isperimetrically mounted to the first edge 3 through a plurality offasteners such as screw fasteners, male and female fasteners, andmagnetic fasteners. As a result, the motor compartment 13 and the accesspanel 14 jointly enclose the motor 20 within the present invention.Furthermore, a plurality of ventilation holes of the present inventiontraverses through the access panel 14. The plurality of ventilationholes allows the heat energy that is generated through the operation ofthe motor 20 to be discharged from the present invention thus improvingthe reliability of the motor 20.

In an alternative embodiment of the present invention, the presentinvention comprises an access casing if the first edge 3 is terminallyconnected around the base plate 7. Due to the terminal connection of thefirst edge 3 and the base plate 7, the motor compartment 13 is omittedwithin the alternative embodiment of the present invention. As a result,the access casing is used to enclose the motor 20 as the access casingis perimetrically attached to the base plate 7 or the first edge 3 ofthe lateral wall 2 through a plurality of fasteners such as screwfasteners, male and female fasteners, and magnetic fasteners within thealternative embodiment of the present invention.

The shredding axle 15, which brakes the plant trimming into uniformsized particles, comprises a central shaft 16 and a plurality ofshredding members 19. The central shaft 16 is a longitudinal member andconcentrically positioned within the cylindrical compartment 9. Theplurality of shredding members 19 is preferably thin tubular memberscomposed of high density plastics that easily bend or flex undertorsion. It should be easily conceivable to those with ordinary skillsin the relevant arts, that the flexible members may possess anon-tubular shape and be composed of a non-polymeric material. Thecentral shaft 16 provides a cylindrical surface area with the presentinvention to integrate the plurality of shredding members 19. Inreference to FIG. 6, a proximal end 17 of the central shaft 16 isterminally coupled with the rotor 22 of the motor 20 so that the motor20 is able to rotate the central shaft 16. The plurality of shreddingmembers 19 traverses through the central shaft 16 in such a way thateach shredding member 19 is radially positioned from the central shaft16 with an even distribution of weight. More specifically, a first freeend and a second free end of each shredding member 19 is positionedequidistant about the central shaft 16 to eliminate unnecessaryvibration and to provide efficient shredding process during theoperation to the present invention. Furthermore, in the preferredembodiment of the present invention, an arbitrary shredding member fromthe plurality of shredding members 19 and an adjacent shredding memberfrom the plurality of shredding members 19 are positioned at a 45degrees angle thus maintain the radial configuration for the pluralityof shredding members 19. The plurality of shredding members 19 isextended from the proximal end 17 to a distal end 18 of the centralshaft 16 so that the shredding axle 15 is able to fully utilize thetotal length of the cylindrical compartment 9 to shred plant trimmings.

The engagement between the proximal end 17 of the central shaft 16 andthe rotor 22 of the motor 20 can be attained through a direct axialcoupling or an indirect axial coupling. In reference to the direct axialcoupling, the rotor 22 of the motor 20 traverses through the base plate7 and into the cylindrical compartment 9 so that the proximal end 17 ofthe central shaft 16 can be axially coupled with the rotor 22 of themotor 20. In reference to the indirect axial coupling, the presentinvention utilizes a coupling member as the coupling member is rotatablyintegrated into the base plate 7 and each end of the coupling member isaccessed from motor compartment 13 and the cylindrical compartment 9. Asa result, the rotor 22 of the motor 20 is axially coupled with thecoupling member from the motor compartment 13, and the proximal end 17of the central shaft 16 is axially coupled with the coupling member fromthe cylindrical compartment 9.

The present invention further comprises a lid 23 that is perimetricallyattached to the second edge 4 of the lateral wall 2 in order to coverthe front opening 10. In reference to FIG. 7-8, the lid 23 comprises acover plate 24, a handle 25, and a plurality of quick release fasteners26. In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the coverplate 24 is made from transparent thermoplastic; however, the coverplate 24 can be made from any number of other materials. The cover plate24 is shaped to fit the front opening 10 and prevents any outsideelements from interfering with the shredding process. The handle 25 isexternally connected to the cover plate 24 for easy removal orattachment of the cover plate 24 within the present invention. Theplurality of quick release fasteners 26 is connected around the coverplate 24 so that the cover plate 24 can be attached to the second edge 4of the lateral wall 2 by the plurality of quick release fasteners 26. Inthe preferred embodiment of the present invention, the cover plate 24 issecured to the housing 1 by a plurality of magnetic fasteners thatfunctions as the plurality of quick release fasteners 26. However, it isalso possible for the cover plate 24 to be secured to the lateral wall 2or the second edge 4 by using any number of other fasteners, such assnap fit fasteners or latch fasteners.

The stand 27 that stabilize the elevated positioning of the housing 1comprises a first leg 28, a second leg 29, and a base section 30. Inreference to FIG. 4-5, the first leg 28 is terminally connected to thebase section 30. The second leg 29 is terminally connected to the basesection 30 and positioned opposite of the first leg 28. As a result, thefirst leg 28 and the second leg 29 form an opening between the twocomponents so that the housing 1 can be rotatably mounted within theopening. More specifically, the lateral wall 2 is rotatably connected tothe first leg 28 by the first mounting bracket 11. The lateral wall 2 isrotatably connected to the second leg 29 by the second mounting bracket12. When the present invention is operational, the shredding axle 15 andthe base section 30 are selectively engaged at an acute angle 31 by alocking mechanism 34 in order to maintain a stationary position for thehousing 1. In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, theacute angle 31 ranges from 60 degrees to 7 degrees so that the user isable to attain multiple stationary positions for the housing 1. Forexample, the housing 1 can be locked at 45 degrees or 23.5 degreesthrough the locking mechanism 34. In the preferred embodiment of thepresent invention, the locking mechanism 34 is a locking pin that canengage with the first leg 28 and the first mounting bracket 11 or thesecond leg 29 and the second mounting bracket 12 to attain thestationary position. However, the locking mechanism 34 is not limited tothe locking pin and can include, but is not limited to, a push buttonlock, a latch lock, and a magnetic lock. Once the shredding process iscompleted, the locking mechanism 34 can be disengaged to tilt downhousing 1 so that uniform sized particles can be removed through thefront opening 10 along with the removal of the lid 23.

In reference to FIG. 3-4, the digital timer 32 digital timer 32functions as a means to record a discrete time interval which allows theuser to determine the operational time duration for the motor 20. Sincethe motor 20 and the digital timer 32 are electrically connected topower cord 33, the digital timer 32 is also powered through the powercord 33 in addition to the motor 20. As a result, the digital timer 32acts as a power switch responsible for actuating the motor 20 inaddition to the setting the operational time duration for the motor 20.The power cord 33 can be attached to any external power outlet that canprovide the electrical current required to power the motor 20 and thedigital timer 32. The operational time duration of the present inventiondetermines actual particle size for the plant trimmings. For example,three seconds of operational time duration outputs larger sizedparticles compare to five second of operational time duration thatoutputs smaller sized particles.

In an alternative embodiment of the present invention, the housing 1further comprises a discharge opening 5, a flange 6, and a cylindricalfilter 35 as shown in FIG. 9-12. More specifically, the dischargeopening 5 traverses through the lateral wall 2 and positioned adjacentto the front opening 10. The flange 6 is perimetrically connected aroundthe second edge 4 of the lateral wall 2 and inwardly extended toward theshredding axle 15. The cylindrical filter 35 is concentrically attachedto the base plate 7 as the cylindrical filter 35 is positioned inbetween the shredding axle 15 and the lateral wall 2. More specifically,the cylindrical filter 35 comprises a first ring 36, a second ring 38,and a mesh cylinder body 39. The first ring 36 is terminally connectedto the mesh cylinder body 39. The second ring 38 is terminally connectedto the mesh cylinder body 39, opposite of the first ring 36. A pluralityof female attachments 37 of the first ring 36 is engaged with aplurality of male attachments 8 of the base plate 7 so that the user isable to easily attach and detach the cylindrical filter 35. The planttrimmings are loaded to the cylindrical filter 35 through the frontopening 10 so that the cylindrical filter 35 is able to retain debrisand stems during the shredding process while allowing uniform sizedparticles to filter through the mesh cylinder body 39. The filteredparticles are then simultaneously dropped through the discharge opening5 during the shredding process. Any amount of collected filteredparticles within the cylindrical compartment 9 can be removed throughthe front opening 10 or the discharge opening 5 by tilting down housing1 after the shredding process.

Although the invention has been explained in relation to its preferredembodiment, it is to be understood that many other possiblemodifications and variations can be made without departing from thespirit and scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method for sizing foliage pieces, including thesteps of: loading foliage to be sized into a batch shredder, the batchshredder including a cylindrical chamber having a cylindricalcompartment bounded by a lateral cylindrical wall and a base endopposite a free end, with an openable and closable lid at the free end,with a motor at the base end rotatably supporting an elongate shreddingaxle within the cylindrical compartment, the shredding axle extendingalong a central axis of the cylindrical compartment, and with aplurality of flexible elongate shredding members extending radially frommultiple points axially spaced from each other along the shredding axle;powering the motor to spin the shredding axle and the shredding memberssupported upon the shredding axle, with the shredding members impactingand cutting the foliage; and unloading sized foliage pieces from thecylindrical compartment.
 2. The method of claim 1 wherein said loadingstep includes closing the lid at the free end, at the end of saidloading step.
 3. The method of claim 1 wherein said powering step lastsfor less than 10 seconds.
 4. The method of claim 3 wherein said pouringstep includes a digital timer controlling power to the motor, thedigital timer adjustable by a user.
 5. The method of claim 1 whereinsaid loading step includes each shredding member extending radially intwo opposing directions.
 6. The method of claim 5 wherein said loadingstep includes each shredding member extending perpendicularly from theelongate shredding axle.
 7. The method of claim 6 wherein said loadingstep includes the shredding members extending from the shredding axle amajority of a distance from the shredding axle to the lateralcylindrical wall.